SVS President and CFO Kenneth Stann shows a rendering of what the new retail center will look like.
RAY SKOWRONEK -- THE MACOMB DAILY

SVS Vision Optical Center in downtown Mount Clemens is expanding its presence in the city by converting the former Greco Title building on Cass Avenue into a new retail “superstore.”

The move means SVS will have a new 20,000-square-foot facility on Cass in addition to the 17,000-square-foot building on Macomb Place at Southbound Gratiot Avenue.

“We are just bursting at the seams,” said Kenneth Stann, president/CFO, and part owner of the company along with Rob Farrell, O.D. “We’ve grown so fast and added so many people here that we need more space.”

The existing building -- which is familiar for its painted murals of people on the exterior wall -- will continue to be a state-of-the-art manufacturing site as new robotic equipment will be added to create lenses and glasses.

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The new location will include retail and administration. Construction on the Greco property is under way and company officials hope to have the project done by mid-2015.

SVS began as the Sterling Vision insurance company in the 1970s, supplying eyewear to union auto workers in Michigan and other states. As the company’s insurance business declined over the years, the company’s focus shifted more to the retail side.

Company founder Avery Sterling eventually sold the business to an equity firm. Stann formed a partnership with Farrell and purchased the company in 2007.

Stann, a CPA who grew up in Madison Heights and earned an accounting degree from Wayne State University, said SVS creates 250,000 lenses a year and has 61 retail locations along with 60-plus opticians.

The move to create a “superstore” on Cass Avenue is good news for Mount Clemens, where a number of businesses have moved out of downtown in recent years.

SVS paid $485,000 for the former Greco building and plan to invest another $500,000 into its renovation, according to Anton, Sowerby & Associates, the Mount Clemens firm that brokered the sale.

“This property fits SVS like a glove,” said broker Ken Minne. “The Greco building was a real legend in the area because everyone knew where it was. They’ve moved out to 16 Mile and Gratiot now.”

Stann said SVS wanted to stay in Mount Clemens, especially since the city is enduring a financial downturn. The current location was built on the site of the former Mount Clemens Skating Arena.

“It’s very sad to see what is happening in Mount Clemens,” Stann said. “We feel we owe the city a little more than loyalty. We are supporting a community that has supported us for many years.”